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Night sky tonight in Fairbanks, Alaska

Whether tonight is worth going out for in Fairbanks, and when: the darkest hours, the Moon, the planets you can see, meteor showers, northern lights chances, ISS passes and the cloud forecast, all worked out for Fairbanks's position (64.84° N) in local time.

Tonight in Fairbanks

Working out tonight's sky for Fairbanks…

Best nights for stargazing in Fairbanks, month by month

The darkest nights come in a run around each New Moon, when the Moon stays below the horizon for most of the night. These are the nights in Fairbanks when it is down for at least 60% of full darkness (astronomical night, Sun 18° or more below the horizon).

MonthMoon-free nightsEvening planetsMorning planets
November 2026Nov 3–16SaturnJupiter, Mars
December 2026Dec 2–14, Dec 30–31SaturnVenus, Jupiter, Mars
January 2027Jan 1–12, Jan 27–31Jupiter, SaturnJupiter, Mars
February 2027Feb 1–10, Feb 25–28Jupiter, Mars, SaturnJupiter, Mars
March 2027Mar 1–10, Mar 25–31Jupiter, MarsJupiter, Mars
April 2027Apr 1–4Jupiter, MarsJupiter, Mars
May 2027No full darkness——
June 2027No full darkness——
July 2027No full darkness——
August 2027No full darknessSaturnSaturn
September 2027Sep 6–10, Sep 26–30SaturnSaturn
October 2027Oct 1–8, Oct 24–31SaturnJupiter, Saturn
November 2027Nov 1–5, Nov 21–30SaturnJupiter
December 2027Dec 1–4, Dec 20–31SaturnJupiter

Planets listed are at least 10° up after dusk (evening) or before dawn (morning) in mid-month; Uranus and Neptune need binoculars or a telescope and are left out.

Meteor showers from Fairbanks

Peak nights in Fairbanks's time zone, with the hours when each shower's radiant is highest in a dark sky, the most meteors you could see under dark skies at that time, and how much the Moon gets in the way.

ShowerPeak nightBest hoursUp to / hourMoonOutlook
Southern TauridsWed, Nov 4, 20269:14 PM–5:34 AM515% Moon up for part of the best hoursPoor
Northern TauridsWed, Nov 11, 20269:17 PM–5:27 AM4Thin or no MoonPoor
LeonidsTue, Nov 17, 20263:14 AM–7:34 AM1159% Moon, down during the best hoursFair
GeminidsSun, Dec 13, 202611:06 PM–6:46 AM12724% Moon, down during the best hoursExcellent
UrsidsMon, Dec 21, 20263:47 AM–8:27 AM1096% Moon up all through the best hoursPoor
QuadrantidsSun, Jan 3, 20275:40 AM–8:20 AM76Thin or no MoonExcellent
LyridsThu, Apr 22, 202712:56 AM–2:46 AM1394% Moon, down during the best hoursFair
Eta AquariidsWed, May 5, 2027Radiant too low—Thin or no MoonPoor
Southern Delta AquariidsFri, Jul 30, 2027Radiant too low—Thin or no MoonPoor
Alpha CapricornidsFri, Jul 30, 2027Radiant too low—Thin or no MoonPoor
PerseidsThu, Aug 12, 20273:01 AM–5:31 AM9586% Moon, down during the best hoursExcellent
DraconidsFri, Oct 8, 20278:39 PM–11:09 PM568% Moon up all through the best hoursPoor
OrionidsThu, Oct 21, 20272:05 AM–7:25 AM1354% Moon up all through the best hoursFair
Southern TauridsFri, Nov 5, 202711:22 PM–6:32 AM551% Moon up for part of the best hoursPoor
Northern TauridsFri, Nov 12, 20279:15 PM–5:25 AM499% Moon up all through the best hoursPoor
LeonidsWed, Nov 17, 20273:14 AM–7:34 AM1178% Moon up all through the best hoursPoor
GeminidsMon, Dec 13, 202711:06 PM–6:46 AM12799% Moon up all through the best hoursFair
UrsidsWed, Dec 22, 20273:48 AM–8:28 AM1019% Moon up for part of the best hoursFair

"Up to" is the zenithal rate scaled to the radiant's height; light pollution and haze reduce it, often to a third or less in a city. See how to watch a meteor shower.

Eclipses visible from Fairbanks

  • June 11, 2029: partial solar eclipse, 15% of the Sun covered at most, from 8:11 PM, greatest at 8:52 PM, ends 9:32 PM.
  • May 31, 2030: partial solar eclipse, 20% of the Sun covered at most, from 10:20 PM, greatest at 11:04 PM, ends 11:46 PM.
  • March 30, 2033: partial solar eclipse, 98% of the Sun covered at most, from 8:53 AM, greatest at 9:52 AM, ends 10:53 AM.

Solar eclipses must only be watched through certified eclipse glasses or a solar filter.

Sunset, darkness and sunrise in Fairbanks

Full darkness starts when astronomical twilight ends, about 70 to 110 minutes after sunset depending on the season. Times are local and include daylight saving time. From Apr 7 to Sep 3 the sky never gets fully dark.

4 h8 h12 h NovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Hours of full darkness in Fairbanks, 1st and 15th of each month.
DateSunsetDark fromDark untilSunriseFull darkness
Nov 1, 20264:28 PM7:18 PM5:51 AM8:43 AM10.5 h
Dec 1, 20263:00 PM6:23 PM6:58 AM10:22 AM12.6 h
Jan 1, 20272:55 PM6:29 PM7:20 AM10:52 AM12.9 h
Feb 1, 20274:33 PM7:30 PM6:37 AM9:33 AM11.1 h
Mar 1, 20276:07 PM8:52 PM5:12 AM7:56 AM8.3 h
Apr 1, 20278:44 PM12:17 AM3:30 AM7:03 AM3.2 h
May 1, 202710:21 PM——5:14 AMNone
Jun 1, 202712:07 AM——3:29 AMNone
Jul 1, 202712:36 AM——3:13 AMNone
Aug 1, 202711:01 PM——4:54 AMNone
Sep 1, 20279:08 PM——6:34 AMNone
Oct 1, 20277:18 PM10:07 PM5:14 AM8:03 AM7.1 h
Nov 1, 20275:29 PM8:19 PM6:51 AM9:42 AM10.5 h
Dec 1, 20273:00 PM6:23 PM6:57 AM10:22 AM12.6 h

Northern lights from Fairbanks

Fairbanks lies at 65.7° geomagnetic latitude. Aurora usually becomes visible low in the northern sky here when the Kp index reaches about 1.2. The card above compares tonight's NOAA forecast with that level. See northern lights in Alaska for the best places to watch.

Dark skies near Fairbanks

There is no certified dark-sky place within 300 miles of Fairbanks. Look for state parks or open farmland away from the city's light dome, with a clear view to the south (and to the north for aurora).

Questions and answers

When is the best time to see the Geminids from Fairbanks in 2026?

On the night of Sun, Dec 13, from about 11:06 PM to 6:46 AM, when the radiant is highest in Fairbanks's dark sky. Under a dark sky you could see up to about 127 meteors an hour at the best time; city lights cut that a lot. 24% Moon, down during the best hours.

Can you see the northern lights from Fairbanks?

Yes, during geomagnetic storms of about Kp 1.2 or stronger, when the aurora can appear low on the northern horizon. Fairbanks is at 65.7° geomagnetic latitude. A phone camera often shows the glow before your eyes do.

When are the darkest nights in Fairbanks?

Around each New Moon, when the Moon is out of the sky for most of the night. In December 2026 the moon-free stretch is Dec 2–14 and Dec 30–31. The longest astronomical night of the period is Dec 14, with 13 h of full darkness.

Why doesn't it get fully dark in Fairbanks in summer?

From April 7 to September 3, the Sun never sinks 18° below Fairbanks's horizon, so astronomical twilight lasts all night. Bright stars, planets and the aurora are still visible, but faint objects like the Milky Way are not.

Nearby cities

All cities in Alaska

Sources and methods